Brown Paper Tickets was awarded an “Oscar” for Best Customer Service for the Performing Arts. It was awarded to us at Live Blessay 2013, an Oscar-style show for local dance, produced by Bay Area Dance Watch, a website that shares essay portraits of local San Francisco dancers and performances, and SAFEhouse (Save Art From Extinction), a nonprofit incubator for new performing artists.

“Brown Paper Tickets has set the gold standard and set it first, for all ticket sales companies to follow their lead,” said Jim Tobin, founder of Bay Area Dance Watch. “Dance companies and local theaters need to pay attention to which ticketing service is preferred by their patrons, because ticket buyers are their biggest supporters.”

We are humbled and honored.

The Best Customer Service award was based on 5 criteria:

1. Easy-to-use website architecture with robust features, such as a personal page for ticket buyers to review all tickets bought; mobile, print-at-home or US mail delivery all for the same price; and more.
2. Round-the-clock, 24/7 hotline for customer support.
3. Transparency in pricing.
4. Donating 5 percent of Brown Paper Tickets’ profits to nonprofits in categories of each ticket buyer’s choice.
5. Lowest ticketing fee in the industry.

While we’d like to thank the academy, it’s more important to thank you—event planners, venues, independent artists, musicians, community organizers and small businesses. We know you choose for your ticket buyers what experience they (and you) will have. We pay close attention to creating a premium experience for all involved, leaving more cash in your and your ticket buyers’ wallets.